Vision 16 - Why they are here?! (6) - My Viewpoint as a Dreamer

Nausea could pile up inside someone if they were to vomit even once, much less over and over again.

And in my case, even though part of my chin, neck, and chest was drenched in blood and I was coughing up blood again and again, nausea was the last thing I was feeling.

[ Zoe's Heart has restored your blood. ]

The amount of my spilled blood was ample, but the loss was immediately replenished with pure blood from my heart as Zoe kept the vitality.

My visible skin and shirt were now covered with dried blood and were still being drenched with warm blood over and over. Yet, underneath all that, there were no wounds.

The fight was messy—white semi-ice all around, holes everywhere, and my appearance even more so—but I wasn't feeling it.

Thanks to Zoe, fatigue and pain were immediately gone.

The fight is clearly getting intensive. The flames burned fiercely, but having a sword that could consume flames and attack with ice—true to its name, the Sword of Ice and Fire—was incredibly helpful.

[ The Nubecula 'Hwang Jini' comments, "Good choice of a weapon." ]

[ The Nubecula 'Hwang Jini' is looking at you with contentment in her eyes. ]

But the main thing at the moment was that this was my first one-on-one fight. Although it was troublesome in my heart, I am the only one fighting, and the situation was somewhat exciting.

I felt powerful. My new stats, although normal by this world's standards, were new and overwhelming for my body. My movements felt easy and fluid, and my strength was far greater than anything I had ever experienced.

And if having a weapon perfectly suited for this confrontation already seemed cliché and advantageous enough, then having my pain, burning sensation, and fatigue reduced to nothing was simply overwhelming to me.

At this point, I felt stronger and faster. I definitely felt like the main performer in this script, even though it all is ruined now. And granted, my appearance covered in my own blood was terrible for a main lead; nevertheless, I felt like one.

[ The Nubecula 'Whose Heart Bleeds for Heartbroken' comments, "You are bleeding again." ]

[ The Nubecula 'Whose Heart Bleeds for Heartbroken' is looking at you with concern. ]

Arthur: "Puckk.."

As I blocked a part of the flame attack that I hadn't managed to intercept earlier, headed toward one of the glass cells, I pucked blood again.

The cell was very sturdy, at least in my opinion, because as the flames sometimes hit those cells—mostly empty ones on top, and some on the ground level—they didn't break.

People reacted with concern and fear, but the glass walls only rippled like the surface of the water. Still, it was good to block the stronger attacks headed at them

[ The Nubecula 'Who Like Cigar and Candy' comments, "Bullshit." ]

Earlier, Magnus had said that Kurtis shattered one of the cells in the hope of escaping but ended up leaving behind a dark cell instead, which made me wonder. How much strength had he really used? Or perhaps it had been a skill.

'I should check his profile... if he's still alive somewhere.' As I wiped the blood from my mouth once again, the flame cat hissed at me threateningly. She seemed frustrated.

[ The Nubecula 'Guhimo' comments, "Bad Kitty!" ]

Reading that comment, I voiced my agreement.

Arthur: "Yeah... even though I like cats too, this one is making it harder for me to like her."

[ The Nubecula 'Guhimo' is furious. ]

I focused as the sword shone with blue light, and a slash followed. Frost formed in a long, towering arc that rose from the ground toward the flame cat, with spikes of ice extending toward her.

Arthur: "But I do what I want, and I will release this cat."

[ The Nubecula 'Raziel' is looking at you favorably. ]

I quickly looked around, and the people inside the cells wore desperate expressions. Most of the students seemed terrified for their lives.

Inside one of the cells, I spotted Regina, the professor of the battle course for the sixth and seventh years. Her eyes were fixed on the battle. She didn't seem to flinch at all; furthermore, her fists were clenched tightly.

[ The 'Flame of the Abandoned Soul' has used 'Breath Attack Lvl.1' ]

Arhhhh.!!!!.... Sizzle.....

At that message, a stream of flames burst from her maw, immediately drawing my attention. The flames clashed against the tall frost that separated us, melting it away with a sizzling sound before the powerful attack travelled further toward me.

Gripping the sword with both hands, its blade now burning orange, I swung it forward. The flames were consumed by it, the whole middle part disappearing in a moment.

I kept the motion of the sword going; I traced a circle, swinging it back at her.

But the flame cat was becoming accustomed to the fight. She swiftly dodged the returning flame attack. The flames went past and struck the cells in the upper corner, causing them all to ripple.

Arthur: "I need to get everyone out of here soon."

[ The Nubecula 'Raziel' is nodding his head. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Who Like Cigar and Candy' is snorting at you. ]

That thought lingered because the fearful faces around me were difficult to watch. The fight was clearly getting intense, and I knew that. Even though I was covered in my own blood and looked pathetic, I was worried that this battle, fought with people trapped inside these cells, might become something people talked about in the future... if we managed to get out unscathed.

To be honest, if I have to keep fighting like this, I don't know whether we will. It was a rational conclusion since the fight seemed to be in a stalemate now, and I didn't know how long I could go on.

On the other side, the flame cat might have appeared to be at a disadvantage at first, but now she seems as though she could endure for far longer than I could.

[ The Nubecula 'Hwang Jini' comments, "This might be challenging." ]

[ The Nubecula 'Guhimo' comments, "What do you mean?" ]

Arthur: "Do you want to have a deathmatch, kitty?"

I said that because she seemed to have no intention of confronting the frost slashes head-on and instead relied mostly on her flames. She was trying to wear me down until I am exhausted—that was my conclusion.

I couldn't help but laugh. 'Am I being played like a pet?'

[ The Nubecula 'Whose Heart Bleeds for Heartbroken' comments, "I don't like this." ]

I swung my sword, its blade coated in blue light. Frost once again formed in front of the beast. She leapt into the air and landed atop the frost confidently; Six meters high frost melted away beneath her.

She hissed at me, seemingly answering my question, while flames danced at the corners of her mouth.

Arthur: "Haha... How can I deny an adorable kitty's request? If that's what you want, then a deathmatch you shall have."

[ The Nubecula 'Dionysus' is sipping his wine. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Who Likes Cigar and Candy' is snorting at you. ]

Obviously, I have no intention of dying here, but I could engage in a proper fight. It would be tough and troublesome, but not impossible.

My stats are no longer that low; I have a good skill that kept me from feeling pain, and I also have a good weapon.

I could continue fighting here, and even if that proved to be insufficient, I could spend more of the points I have to raise my stats a little further.

Even if it would be a pity to spend those points, staying alive and clearing this script is far more important to me.

The flame cat hissed at me again, flames dancing all over her body in intimidation. 'Am I being looked down on?'

Being looked down on is something I could tolerate to some extent, but regretting the past is something I never want to admit in my lifetime.

Setting those thoughts aside, the sword shone blue as I tried to advance once again, but then—

?: "Enough."

[ A handful of Nubeculas has taken a deep breath. ]

With determination, I was about to step forward when a voice stopped me in my tracks.

The voice was low and cold, yet perfectly clear. It seemed Lisa had recovered from her state of shock. I hadn't forgotten about her, but since I couldn't help her at the moment, I had simply told Zoe to deflect any attacks headed her way because she had no means to defend herself.

A wave of relief washed over me. 'About time, I could take some rest.'

I felt like turning toward her with a grateful smile, as if turning to a saviour—someone whose arrival I was genuinely glad to see.

[ The Nubecula 'Who Like Cigar and Candy' comments, "You should wipe that relieved expression off your face." ]

Lowering my sword in relief, my wings flapped as I turned toward her. I had only turned halfway before that thought was shattered.

Lisa: "You want to do what?"

I thought the only problem that would now exist would be the flame cat, but she darted her words at me. I felt my neck covered in sweat.

Her voice was cold and clear. I saw her taking a step toward me. Her eyes looked at me as though I were an insignificant fool. Then her voice became even colder.

Lisa: "You can laugh?"

'I laughed? Sorry, ma'am... I shouldn't have laughed.' That apology instinctively formed in my mind because of how cold she seemed, but I couldn't bring myself to say it aloud.

[ The Nubecula 'Who Like Cigar and Candy' is laughing madly. ]

Lisa: "While looking at your own death? Is it so easy to accept, just like accepting work from me?"

She took another step forward. The air in the surroundings grew colder and colder, just as the look in her eyes became more distant and icy blue.

Everything came to a halt.

[ Some Nubeculas have held their breath. ]

I had already been looking forward to stepping away from the battle after hearing her voice, yet even the flame cat didn't launch another attack. She also sensed that something in the surroundings was changing.

Then several messages appeared before me.

[ A new attribute is germinating inside Lisa Hart's Soul. ]

[ The attribute 'Ice Princess' has grown inside the existence 'Lisa Hart'. ]

[ An Exclusive Skill has branched from her attribute. ]

[ The Exclusive Skill 'Blizzard Lvl.1' is activated. ]

Arthur: "Heol?"

At the appearance of those messages, the word escaped my lips subconsciously. Out of habit, I had spoken in Korean.

[ The Nubecula 'Hwang Jini' is looking with wide eyes. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Who Like Cigar and Candy' has stopped laughing. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Whose Heart Beats for Heartbroken' is looking in your direction. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Raziel' is shocked. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Guhimo' is looking with stars in her eyes. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Dionysus' has choked on his wine. ]

Just like them, I am baffled as well.

An attribute was germinating before my eyes inside an existence. Don't take my words lightly—it is an exceptional possibility.

Changing an attribute is like when someone realizes the way they live is not the right one, like a hero realizing the world was too cruel to save, so they decide to take the role of a villain or the other way around.

Evolving an attribute is like when someone believes their existence is not to live a normal life but to be of great or greater importance. Like when someone, through multiple courses of their actions, believes in themselves enough to opt for a role deep in their soul.

Both are equally incredible and impressive moments in a person's life. I had seen multiple people—those I considered the main leads of this world—go through them.

But germinating an attribute, forming a resolve in their heart for themselves, is out of the ordinary. That is what I believed, even if it were to happen.

'Celine was going to go through it once. If it were Cassandra or Gis, even Sebastian, it would be believable... but Lisa... What is transpiring this?'

Coldness oozed out of Lisa like a visible aura, and the temperature dropped all around.

A freezing gust howled. I raised my hand to shield my face, and saw white snow blowing through my half-closed eyes.

The wind became harsher, and my wings instinctively curled around me for protection, but even that wasn't enough. I stepped farther back, while the flame cat stood her ground, her flames swaying against the freezing wind.

Then, as Lisa took some steps toward the cat, with every step the ground underneath slowly turned to ice. Soon the whole ground became covered with it, with her at its centre.

[ The Nubecula 'Hwang Jini' comments, "This—" ]

Even the tactician was speechless.

Screeechhhhh.....

The flame cat hissed at Lisa, shifting her attention away from me. However, Lisa's eyes held no hesitation—only coldness.

Whooshhhhh.... Whooshhhh...

Cold wind struck my ears. It was as though a blizzard had descended upon the entire area. That was the skill Lisa had awakened.

'The Ice Princess attribute... and the Blizzard skill... she obtained both?'

Everyone knew Ice Princess was Crystal's title. She was the first to germinate the ice-type attribute and integrate it into her soul. Sure, Lisa belonged to her family, but still...

'Well... I guess this is better for her. Her future will become much easier with this.' I genuinely felt that.

Lisa: "This will not end like last time."

As those words left her lips, she raised her hands as though holding invisible spheres. Snowy winds from the surroundings gathered at the center of her palms. Before long, it condensed into a sphere—white, glowing with shades of blue, while tiny snow particles endlessly circled within it.

She gently threw the sphere in her right hand toward the flame cat, who remained engulfed in flames despite the snowy surroundings.

The sphere left her hand and headed at her. The small sphere grew in size the closer it got to the flame cat, growing as large as her. Even though the small sphere before looked beautiful but harmless, the now large sphere seemed dangerous. But for some reason, the flame cat didn't dodge it, and then it engulfed her.

Whooshhhhhh...

After the sphere engulfed her, it dissolved into snow, which was then carried away by the wind.

At the center, between Lisa and me, stood a humongous cat covered in snow. She looked like a snow figure, but then she moved furiously, like a cat shaking water off its body.

Arthur: "Hm."

I raised my arms in front of me, and my wings followed. I blocked the ice that the cat shook from her body, and then the wings before me glowed faintly before slowly becoming transparent, even more so than before.

Zoe: "My King."

Zoe's voice echoed in my head. She sounded tired.

Arthur: "Rest for now."

She seemed reluctant, but at my words, the wings disappeared completely as messages flashed before me.

[ The passive skill 'Zoe's Heart' is on cooldown. ]

[ Cooldown Period: 1 hour ]

'She must have been really tired,' I thought, looking at the cooldown period.

Her fatigue was justified. Defending against external attacks isn't her purpose.

As the snow cleared a little, a humongous cat with red and golden fur came into view. There wasn't a single wisp of flame left on her.

Screeeeeechhhhhhhh.....

She hissed loudly at Lisa, and then flames burst out from her mouth, covering her body once again.

[ The 'Flame of the Abandoned Soul' has become enraged. ]

[ The 'Flame of the Abandoned Soul' has used 'Breath Attack Lvl.1' ]

The flames condensed around her maw once again, looking terrifying even in the snowy surroundings. Then, without hesitation, the cat, once again cloaked in flames, attacked with her fiery breath.

Lisa: "It won't work this time."

Her eyes were cold, and her voice was even colder.

She lifted her free hand infront of her. The aura around her flared, and the snow in the surroundings gathered toward her raised hand before surging straight toward the incoming breath attack.

The wind carrying the freezing snow and the scorching fiery flames collided. The wind billowed outward as though the flames were desperately trying to pierce through it, yet it couldn't, and the flames gradually disappeared.

[ Several Nubeculas are watching with excitement. ]

Lisa: "It won't be like last time. Not when I'm here, instead of somewhere far away. I won't lose anyone anymore."

Her voice contained strong determination. The swirling snow obscured my view because of the powerful wind. The flame cat remained visible in the distance due to her massive size, but Lisa, who stood farther away, was difficult to make out. I could only see her silhouette and her blue eyes that shone like jewels.

Lisa: "There's no point in dwelling on what has already happened. Keeping that in my heart, I need to focus on today. Right?"

I caught sight of those blue jewels looking toward me and heard a faint murmur. The roaring wind swallowed most of her voice before it reached me.

Screech...

The cat hissed, trying to intimidate Lisa. The jewel-like eyes turned toward her. Then the flame cat tried to step toward Lisa, but she threw the sphere that was in her left hand.

The cat immediately showed concern and attempted to dodge the magical sphere by moving out of its path. Lisa then waved her hand, and the wind surrounding the flame cat intensified to the point that I couldn't help but mutter—

Arthur: "Blizzard..."

The wind became so fierce that even I could feel its overwhelming power.

Arthur: "Uh..."

The cat's body wallowed as she struggled against the immense pressure contained within the freezing winds. Before she realized it, the sphere engulfed her, covering her in snow from head to toe.

The humongous snow-covered cat moved again, shaking the snow off her and then, with a threatening expression, she stood on her hind legs, raising her forelegs toward Lisa.

Lisa: "Enough. This is where it ends for you."

With those words, another message appeared before me.

[ The Existence 'Lisa Hart' has activated 'Icicle Lvl.1'. ]

'A new active skill as well?' As that thought came to my mind—

The frost rose over the paws of the flame cat's hind legs, the ones supporting her weight, and they became encased in pure ice.

The cat's confused expression quickly turned into one of urgency and anger. She tried to bring her forelegs crashing down on Lisa as quickly as possible. At the same time, flames flickered at the corners of her mouth.

But in the very next instant, like a flash, the frost engulfed the entire flame cat; it became encased in pure ice.

Where the humongous flame cat had stood moments ago, there was now a magnificent ice sculpture of the same cat, frozen with her forelegs raised. Even the flames at the corners of her mouth had been frozen solid.

[ The Nubecula 'Hwang Jini' is speechless. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Whose Heart Bleeds for Heartbroken' is looking at you. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Who Like Cigar and Candy' comments, "Look at your expression, Heroboy. Hahaha." ]

[ The Nubecula 'Who Like Cigar and Candy' is laughing. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Raziel' is looking. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Dionysus' is coughing up his wine. ]

[ The Nubecula 'Guhimo' comments, "Beautiful.!" ]

As the messages appeared, my eyes remained fixed on the beautiful sculpture. And then another message flashed.

[ The Miscellaneous Script 'Flame of the Abandoned Soul' has been cleared. ]

[ Participants: Lisa Hart, Arthur Xanders, Kurtis Allen, Amanda Kurt, Allison Brown, Magnus Lothian, Regina Yates.... ]

Because no one is there to manage it. Not just the main one, but all the participants' names displayed, who had contacted the messed-up script; all the present professors' and students' names were on the screen.

?: "Hart?"

A voice came from my right.

I turned my head and saw Regina behind a glass wall, staring at the message hovering above.

'Right... Lisa used Regina's last name.' With that thought, I realized that I was standing almost at the edge of the hall, which was now completely covered in snow.

I looked around and noticed that almost no one else was paying attention to the messages. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the enormous ice cat.

Before anyone else could notice—

BANG!!

A huge explosion erupted far behind Lisa, drawing everyone's attention, including Regina's and mine.

At the far edge above the hall, the glass walls that enclosed the empty cells two or three levels above the ground shattered.

The entire hall shook slightly. Everyone turned toward the shattered glass—students crouching inside the cells in fear, professors like Magnus looking on with bitterness, and even Regina and Lisa observing with confusion and vigilance.

As the tremor rippled through the hall, I tried to keep my footing since the ice and snow beneath my feet had become slippery. But then a cracking sound caught my attention.

Crack.

Arthur: "Hm?"

I heard something crack, but I couldn't tell where it came from.

Crack. Crack. Crack... Crack...

Soon, several more cracking sounds reached my ears, and my gaze shifted toward the source.

'It came from the front... no... from above.'

Lisa's head snapped in my direction, and I instinctively looked up. But before I could understand what was happening, cracks spread across the enormous ice sculpture like a spider's web, running from its hind legs all the way to its back. Its massive tail fell, detaching from its body.

My steps faltered backwards, trying to avoid the falling ice tail. I quickly skated a little back on the ice since I couldn't take proper steps on the icy ground.

Boom!

Within a second, the ice tail crashed to the ground in front of me.

It had landed quite a distance away, so I hadn't really needed to move. But the impact sent another light tremor through the hall, causing one of my feet to slip across the frozen floor.

Arthur: "Aa—"

As it happened, I thought I would fall on my back, but then I remembered that I was close to the edge and would make contact with the cell wall behind me. But neither happened.

One second. Two seconds. My fall didn't end. I was still falling, and in front of me, what I saw was—Darkness.

Everything around me was black.

I couldn't see anything. Yet somehow, the darkness was kept growing.

How did I know that the endless darkness filling my vision was getting bigger?

In that darkness, there stood a door-sized opening. And beyond that door, I saw a hall covered with snow, people inside glass cells, and a broken sculpture of ice, and that door was getting farther and farther away.

Courtesy of our esteemed Professor Kurtis Allen. I realized I had fallen into one of the cells that had been shattered earlier by him.

But that wasn't what concerned me at the moment. Beyond the doorway, I saw Lisa wearing a baffled expression. And even farther beyond her, where the glass wall had shattered, I saw three familiar existences looking through the opening— Ducas, Valerie, and Persephone.

Looking at them, I once again realized that their presence was what had altered the course of the script.

Even with pieces coming together to me, the only thing I could scream inside my mind was—

'Why are they here?!'

[ The Nubecula 'Dionysus' comments, "Isn't he unlucky?" ]

[ The Nubecula 'Who Like Cigars And Candy' comments, "Oh, you unlucky hero. Hahaha." ]

[ The Nubecula 'Whose Heart Bleeds For Heartbroken' comments, "He never said he was a hero." ]

Chapter 62 - Vision 16 - Why they are here?! (6)